Operational Barriers: When Your Form Says "NO" to Your Best Clients

An operational barrier isn't a matter of bad form design. It’s a hard, systemic roadblock. It's a "wall" that goes up when your online process clashes with how companies actually work: their financial policies, their division of roles, and their internal procedures.

Here are 4 examples of barriers you might be unintentionally building, blocking your sales.

1. Pay Now or Never

• Scenario: A manager wants to order licenses worth $10,000. According to company policy, such purchases require an invoice with deferred payment terms.
• The Barrier: Your form only offers payment by credit card or a local instant payment system (like Blik). There's no option for an "Invoice".
• Why it's a problem: You're telling the client a hard "NO". They want to pay and are able to, but your system is incompatible with their financial procedures. It's a signal that you don't understand how B2B works, where an invoice is the standard.

ProTIP: Selling to large companies or globally? Add a "Contact Sales" or "Custom Quote" option. This allows them to bypass rigid rules. Add a direct link to a tool like Calendly so you don't interrupt the purchasing process.

2. "Private" Work Data

• Scenario: You run an event company. Your client's assistant is tasked with collecting offers for a conference and is filling out your form.
• The Barrier: You require a business phone number. The assistant doesn't have one, and she won't provide her private number.
• Why it's a problem: You're putting an employee in an awkward position and assuming everyone has a company phone. By doing this, you're blocking contact with the very people who are the gatekeepers to the decision-makers.

ProTIP: In B2B, a required phone number isn't proof of commitment; it's often a target for telemarketers. Many decision-makers will flee to protect their number and their privacy. If you must have this field, make it optional.

3. The One-Person Army

• Scenario: A marketing director wants to request a quote for a new website. They have the brief and all the necessary technical data.
• The Barrier: Your form requires the company's tax ID and registered address, but the person placing the order doesn't know which company within their corporate group will be the final payer.
• Why it's a problem: In most companies, the marketing person and the accounting person are from two different worlds. Your form assumes it's a "one-person army," which leads to the process being abandoned.

ProTIP: Remember: the B2B purchasing process is a team sport. The person from marketing often doesn't know the accounting details. Your form must account for this, or the client won't even bother starting it.

4. All or Nothing

• Scenario: An HR Director wants to order a training session for 12 managers. They know that not everyone will be available on the same date.
• The Barrier: Your pricing has rigid tiers: "up to 10 people - $8,000," "over 10 people - $14,000." The director is caught in a trap—either they overpay, or they have to painstakingly confirm each person's attendance.
• Why it's a problem? Instead of offering flexibility, you're forcing the client into guesswork or giving up. Business requires flexible planning.

ProTIP: Price ranges are fine, but avoid large jumps. In this case, simply adding a "cost per additional participant" would make the offer more flexible.

How to Tear Down Walls and Build Bridges?

Fighting operational barriers is primarily a lesson in empathy. Understand how your business clients operate and make their lives easier.

• Think like a client (and ask for their opinion). Go through your own purchasing path. Even better, ask your current clients what annoyed them about your form.
• Understand that the whole company is buying. Remember that the person filling out the form is often just one cog in the machine. Don't close the door by expecting information that person may not have access to.
• Provide flexibility and a shortcut. Where possible, allow for personalization. For large clients, offer direct contact with the sales department to bypass the rigid process.

The more your form adapts to the client's needs, the less likely they are to hit a wall.

Did you find this article interesting? Want to see if your form is building walls instead of bridges? Let us know at contact@formdig.com

Have a great day! Marcin